Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-01-28
A STORY OF JOHN KHNNA.
ZFB VANCE NOT THE ONLY sENA'
TOR WHO HAS EXHIBITED
IN A CIRCUS.


ZEB VANCE NOT THE ONLY sENA'
TOR WHO HAS EXHIBITED
IN A CIRCUS.
A friend of John Kenna, the
West Virginia senator, says that
Zeb Vance is not entitled to a pat
ent on campaign speaking at a
clrcns. Last fall, so the story goes,
Vance and the circus struck a
North Carolina town at the same
time. The senator persuaded the
Snowman that the people had turn
ed out to hear him speak rather
than to see the elephant. "You
see,' said Vance to the Snowman,
'Tm something of a circns myself"
The result was a division OF time
by which Vance got off his polltl-
cal remarks to the crowd in the
tent, and tho regular programme
followed.
"When the question of removing
the capital from Wheeling to
Charleston was up" says Mr..
Kenna's friend, "we had red hot
canvass. Kenna was for Charles
ton and he took the stump with
Col. Romerie Frier. They made
their way from place to place mp
the Kanawa valley, but the people
didn't respond as thev hoped. One
night, after a particularly hard
days work, Kenna said; "Col.
Frier, unless we can get up' some-
thing rev we are done for
"'Thars what I think said
Frier, gloOmily.
"Kenna sat with his feet on the
table and a Wheeling stoga be-
tween his teeth, thinking. All at
| once he said Colonel, pve got 1t.
| noticed to-day by the paper that
a circus is billed for Huntington on
Saturday and is going through the
state. NVe'll go down there and
make an arrangement to travel
along with the show and deliver
short speeches under the tent Just
before the performance. The circus
will bring those old mountain foxes
out of their holes if anything Will.
"I'm with you, said Col. Frler
"The two politicians made
better arrangement than they haC
at first contemplated. The novelty
of the thing struck the Snowman
where he was at home. He fiXet
up a programme like this: Ate
the grand entree and cavalcad'
Frier was to be introduced and u
talk ten minutes. The wonderful
performing war elephant Pilot wa
IN follow. and that act We s TO bl
succeeded by 'the beautiful quee
Of the flaming zone in her unpara
leled feat of riding an u'1tame
mustang bare backed thrO ugh
hoop of fire. Then Kenna W as t
make his speech, being prese nte
by the clown. This program I'M
was faithfully carried out. In
clowns introduction of Kenna va
one of the telling points. lie d.
it after this fashion
"Ladles and gentlemen, old ant
young, without regard to race, colo
or previous condition, | am abou
to introduce to you Mister KenneI
the brag young orator and comlni
statesman of your thriving state
lie is a self made man. AS aploV
bo, he plowed corn on these rue
ged hills, barefoOted, bareh eaded
and, | say it proudly, in hi shll
tail, until he was 1G years OF ag'
His hands are as horny as ! eathe
lie can strike fire from tn g MI
rock with his heel. His we'll shape
and intellectual head deli',s I'll
hottest rays of a July sum- IL
constitution is as tough as yontl'
rhinoceros in the cage to the left
: the band wagon. His voice is Id
? the African lions. His eye is pie
: cling as the American eagl e's. 1
! his movements he is as qi1lck a
the mountain fox, and his dispos
, ton is as mild as the dyin 6 swan
Hear him, ladies and gentlemen
, and bear IN mind that the peri orr
ance is not vet half over.
/ "rhen Kenna woul0 spea K.
WE'LL" he continued, "Whce lii
t hadn't any show against such
campaign as that, aud Charles t.
/ rot the capital"